The Official BITOG Cheapskate Thread

[MarkStock]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
For a while McDonalds had a cheeseburger for $.99 and a double cheeseburger for $1. I was

when my wife ordered a single! Told her in no uncertain terms that we missed the opportunity for me to build a triple for $1.01.

I had one of those doubles once and it grossed me out.

There was an interesting story about how important the Double Cheeseburger is to McDonalds because it gets so many people in the door, especially in the recession. But, as you mention, it is no longer on the dollar menu.

When the recession hit, you may remember that food costs were strangely also rising. Franchisees were losing money on the Double Cheeseburger because of that. Prior to the recession it was a good idea, but afterwards, people began using the dollar menu more exclusively.

So it was now unprofitable, but it was an important way to get people into the door.

So they invented the McDouble with cheese. A Double Cheeseburger with only 1 slice of cheese instead of 2. This kept the cost down, kept it on the dollar menu, kept people coming in, and nobody (customers at least) really noticed the difference.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I only buy used clothes.
I hope underwear is the exception...and socks


Oh yeah ... and shoes. I'm not sure it's legal to sell socks and underwear used anyway.



Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I only buy used clothes.


My wife has suddenly become a thrift shop regular. Gotta love her!

I'm not on it right now, but one of my main computers at home has Ubuntu as the OS. (As in FREE!) I saw a cartoon in a computer magazine once that sums up Linux and Ubuntu perfectly. There were two identical cartoon boxes that showed a computer and two people beside the computer. The first box had one person saying to another in anger: "Oh GEESH, I have another Windows upgrade!"
The next box was identical except that the same person was saying to another in excitement: "Oh GOOD, I have another Ubuntu upgrade!"


I used to use Ubuntu but the new Unity interface is too hard for me to use. I have been using LXDE on top of Debian.

 

[Shannow]

Last week was looking at various cleaners, and the ingredients on the green floor wash looked a lot like bathroom cleaner...good for tiles (and test on porous, just like the Bathroom cleaners).

Bought some, and put it 1:20 in a bathroom spray bottle, and will do 1:30 next time...1/20 to 1/30 the price of bathroom cleaner.

 

[eljefino]

Bump for this amazing product. An honest effort? Attempt to shame? Challenge accepted!

 

[53' Stude]

I have had that brand before; not bad actually

 

[supton]

We like the Market Basket low sodium bacon, buy it when it is on sale.

I mortified my boss a few months ago. Do not remember why I mentioned, but I said that I only buy black dress slacks. They go with any work shirt I own. When the pants cannot be worn for work I wear them around the house. Haven't bought jeans (or pants other than black) in several years. I might possibly wear more than once before putting into the wash also.

Last batch of button work shirts came from... Salvation Army. Pretty nice ones, and $3.50 or somesuch apiece.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

I will be taking one of the two Royal Purple 5qt jugs of API SN 5W-20 off their hands today.

$21. strike that, $7 a jug. Heh. Looks like I am now buying them both. As well as the quart, of same. Nope, strike that. The one quart was $5. So my fill will be a mix. So be it. $14 on 10 quarts, RP. Go me...


Also getting a $17.97 $14.97 as well as a $9 $5 pair of shoes.

They also have a ton of Purolator as well as Fram oil filters for 75cent each. I dont need those, however.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
I will be taking one of the two Royal Purple 5qt jugs of API SN 5W-20 off their hands today.

$21. strike that, $7 a jug. Heh. Looks like I am now buying them both. As well as the quart, of same. Nope, strike that. The one quart was $5. So my fill will be a mix. So be it. $14 on 10 quarts, RP. Go me...


Also getting a $17.97 $14.97 as well as a $9 $5 pair of shoes.

They also have a ton of Purolator as well as Fram oil filters for 75cent each. I dont need those, however.
Who is "they"?

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
I will be taking one of the two Royal Purple 5qt jugs of API SN 5W-20 off their hands today.

$21. strike that, $7 a jug. Heh. Looks like I am now buying them both. As well as the quart, of same. Nope, strike that. The one quart was $5. So my fill will be a mix. So be it. $14 on 10 quarts, RP. Go me...


Also getting a $17.97 $14.97 as well as a $9 $5 pair of shoes.

They also have a ton of Purolator as well as Fram oil filters for 75cent each. I dont need those, however.
Who is "they"?


"They" is Walmart.

 

[eljefino]

Bump for more bacon. Three lbs for $5. The "Meat dept special": maple, regular, and thick-sliced.

I suspect this was employee embezzlement intended for a "friend" who would have appeared minutes later, but, hey, it was in the cooler.

(And not expired, I froze this)

 

[turtlevette]

I run my tires down to the cords. I don't change u joints until the rollers have all fallen out. I put in Lucas trans fix to keep the Vette trans going another 10 years so far. I put $50 Chinese tires on the trans am instead of $150 BFG radial ta's.

We still have a tube tv. I use $10 cell phones on a 6 dollar a month pay as you go.

Then I waste a load on other things like a hot tub that draws more power than a lot of homes.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: MarkStock
When eating out, I always try to figure out the most cost effective way of ordering for everyone.

The best example to describe it would be at McDonalds, but there are countless other examples. At McDonalds I would:

1) Order one person's burger / main as a supersized meal to share the fries and drink, and then order the other mains just on their own.
2) Actually figure out which burger / main is cheaper to buy as part of a meal as opposed to on it's own.

So this let's 3 people eat for under $10, instead of say $15.

Of course, you could also go with the value menu ......


For a while McDonalds had a cheeseburger for $.99 and a double cheeseburger for $1. I was

when my wife ordered a single! Told her in no uncertain terms that we missed the opportunity for me to build a triple for $1.01.

Then there's the ghetto big mac.

I use to love the McGangbang off the old dollar menu. A McChicken between the pattys of a double cheeseburger.

 

[Warlord]

Some frugal ideas I’ve put into use lately:

- keep a bucket in the shower to collect water while the water is warming up. Use this water for other uses like watering plants or washing clothes.

- put a 2l pop bottle with some rocks in it in the toilet tank so it displaces and saves 2l per flush.

- put a little cheap valve on my shower head so I can reduce or stop the flow while soaping up. Cheaper than buying a new low flow head.

- I found that using the quick wash setting on my dishwasher is just as good as the normal setting. Same with the clothes washer.

- hang dry everything except towels.

- every few months do a little audit of your finances and look for waste and ways to trim. I usually call around and make a fuss about my bills and often get them lowered.

- drive slow. Reduced my fuel costs by about 10 percent just by taking it easy. Less stress too.

- walk or ride my bike to do most nearby errands now. It’s easy to turn down an impulse buy when you have to physically carry it home.

Loved reading through this thread for old times sake.

 

[SZR48207]

I couldn't cheap out on showers. A good hot shower turns me into a civilized man.

But I do save the plastic faux Tupperware that some food comes in and reuse it. I also wash and reuse Ziploc bags (unless raw meat was stored in them).

If I still had to commute to the office, I'd ride my motorcycle regardless of the weather because it gets double the MPG of my truck.

And I'm slowly weaning myself off name brand soda. I can tolerate Shasta and Great Value brand cola now lol

 

[IndyIan]

Only slightly cheapskate, but I buy my boys one foot long sub instead of two 6", and my wife and I will share 1 extra large coffee instead of 2 mediums... Also we get a lot of sports stuff and board games from the second hand store. I also picked up a small JVC powered sub there for $10. Nothing fancy but puts out more bass than my wife wants to listen too, so I guess its good enough!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Only slightly cheapskate, but I buy my boys one foot long sub instead of two 6", and my wife and I will share 1 extra large coffee instead of 2 mediums... Also we get a lot of sports stuff and board games from the second hand store. I also picked up a small JVC powered sub there for $10. Nothing fancy but puts out more bass than my wife wants to listen too, so I guess its good enough!


Wife and I share a drink when we go out...usually she will get water too..

Found a good multicleaner at the dollar store that works very well, and break it up into a couple a spray bottles and add water.

Bought the wife a Trac Phone (smart phone) and get her the 25 buck card good for 60 days (12.50/month) with lots of texts and wifi data. (uses my phone for a long call)

 

[dishdude]

Squeezing every mile out of my oil and other fluid/maintenance parts!

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Only slightly cheapskate, but I buy my boys one foot long sub instead of two 6", and my wife and I will share 1 extra large coffee instead of 2 mediums... Also we get a lot of sports stuff and board games from the second hand store. I also picked up a small JVC powered sub there for $10. Nothing fancy but puts out more bass than my wife wants to listen too, so I guess its good enough!


Sandwich is one thing, but Ive never thought it particularly ethical to share a beverage that offers free refills (coffee at places where a waitress tops it up routinely; soda at a place where the machine is accessible and refills that visit are complimentary). FWIW.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Only slightly cheapskate, but I buy my boys one foot long sub instead of two 6", and my wife and I will share 1 extra large coffee instead of 2 mediums... Also we get a lot of sports stuff and board games from the second hand store. I also picked up a small JVC powered sub there for $10. Nothing fancy but puts out more bass than my wife wants to listen too, so I guess its good enough!


Sandwich is one thing, but Ive never thought it particularly ethical to share a beverage that offers free refills (coffee at places where a waitress tops it up routinely; soda at a place where the machine is accessible and refills that visit are complimentary). FWIW.

Lol, I can't imagine sitting there at a restaurant with a waitress, sharing a cup of coffee and getting it filled up multiple times... We just share a coffee from Tim Hortons going through the drive thru. I guess the odd time we have doubled up on a pop at a fill it yourself fast food place, but its still paying $2+ for 0.20 of sugar instead of 0.10 so everyone is still happy I think!

 

[volvos_rock]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
You know what it means to be average? That means you're the best of the lousiest and the lousiest of the best.

It is called "The Middle Way"...


Our homesteads name is Mediocre Acres, where our motto is Meh.